Leaf-spring for vehicles.



R. H. BERKSTRESSER.

LEAF SPRING POR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.25,1914.

L099,53 3 Patented June 9,1914.

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yg @l 'l g g GMW@ o @WU ltr? @f5 O 0 7j? witnesses lRBERI' H. BERKSTRESSER, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEAIF-SPRING FOR VEHICLES.

i ,ooanaa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 19,14..

pplcatioii filed March 25, 19111. Serial No. 827,198.

To a?? wimm- 1'2? may conc-ern Be it known that l, ROBERT itl. BERK- s'riinssnii. a citizen of the 1Unit-ed States, residing at York, iii the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lheaf- Springs for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in leaf-springs for vehicles, and has particular reference to leaf-springs .having novel lmeans for supplying a lubricant between the springleaves thereof.

The invention aims to provide apparatus of the above mentioned character, which is simple in construction. inexpensive to manufacture. formed of few parts, strong, and durable.

ln the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the saine. Figure 1` is a side elevation of a .leafvspring embodying my iiivention, Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the saine. F ig. 3 is a similar view enlarged, with parts broken away, lFig. l is a fragmentary bottom plan view of one of the spring-leaves. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a spacing strip or plate. and, Fig. G is a central longitudinal section through the lubrication 'supplying binding bolt.

In the drawings. wherein for the purpose Ytively large openings 13, spaced, and arof illustration. is shown a preferred einbodinient of niv invention. the numeral 5 desig` f nates niv improved leaf-spring. as a whole, comprising spaced superposed spring-leaves 6. 'T and S, which are curved longitudinally in a vertical plane with their ends extending upwardly. These spring-leaves ai'e suit ably resilient and the uppermost one is pro- 1 this manner the lubricant is supplied to the vided with eyes 9. as is customary.

s more clearly shown in Fig. 4, each leaf spring is provided upon its lower face ori wall with a. longitudinally extending groove 10. passing through the median line of the I saine and having its lower slde entirely open, as shown. This lower side of the spring-leaf is further provided with short. transverse@ grooves 11. leading into the longitudinal groove 10 and preferably angularly arranged with relation thereto. as shown.

Disposed between the spring-leaves are f spacing leaves or plates 1:?. formed of fiber. metal. or any suitable flexible material. Each spacing leaf isrprovided with relaranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, as shown. The arrangement of the openings or apertures 13 and grooves 10 and'11 is suoli that the longitudinal groove 10 registers with the inner longitudinal row of openings 13, while the transverse grooves 11 in each transverse pair serves to connect the openings in the outer longitudinal rows with an opening in the inner longitudinal groove. a relatively large preferably centrally ai'- `ranged vertical opening- '14 is "formed through all of the spring-leaves and the spacing leaves to receive a combined lubrication supplying and binding vertical tubular bolt 15 as shown. This vertical tubular bolt has its lower end closed by means of a head 1G, preferably tittingin a recess 17, formed in the spring-leaf 8, as shown. The vertical tubular bolt 15 is provided with spaced superposed outlet openings 16', to register with the longitudinal grooves 10,. as shown. The tubular bolt 15 has its upper end exteriorly screw-threaded. as shown at 17', to receive a nut 1Q. as shown. A lock cap-nut 19 is preferably provided. having engagenient with the screw-threads 17', and With 4the nut 18. to prevent its accident-al rotation.

This lockcapnut also serves to cover the open end of the tubular bolt to protect the oil or the like therein.

`Wliile I have shown one bolt 15, it is to bev understood that this number may be increased, with a corresponding increasing of the number of the grooves l0.

ln operation. the lubricant, such as oil, graphite. or a mixture thereof, is fed into the tubular bolt 15, by removing the lockap-nut. rlhis lubricant passes by gravitation through the openings 16 into the grooves 10 and then into the grooves 11. In

openings 13 in the spacing leaves, to thoroughly lubricate the engaging faces of the spring-leaves and spacing-leaves.

Having described my invention, I claim t* 1. A leaf-spring. comprising la plurality of siiperposed longitudinally curved spring leaves provided upon their lower faces with longitudinal grooves and transverse grooves leading therein. spacing-leaves arranged between tlie spring-leaves and provided with openings in communication with the longitudinal and transverse grooves of the springleaves. and a vertical tubular bolt passing through all of the spring-leaves and the spacing-leaves/to bind them together and to hold a lubricant and having outlet openings inregistration with thelongitudinal grooves,

to supply the lubricant thereto.

is leading into inclined transverse spaced grooves, spacing-leaves' arranged between the spring-leaves, each spacing-leaf being provided with spaced openings arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, the longi tudinal groove of the adjacent spring-leaf being in registration with-the inner longitudinal row of spaced openings in the spacing-leaf and the transverse inclined grooves serving to connect the openings in the other rows with the longitudinal groove, a vertical tubular bolt passing through the spring-leaves and the spacing-leaves to bind themtogether and having outlet openings to register with the longitudinal groove and its upper end exteriorly screw-threaded, a clamping nut engaging the screw-threaded ,end of the bolt and a lock-cap-nut engaging such screw-threaded portion to 'close the same and engaging the clamping nut to lock it against accidental rotation.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT H. BERKSTRESSER. Witnesses:

Bassin E. SAYLOR, JACOB E. WEAVER. 

